Sapphire is the gemstone that comes from the mineral corundum. I consists mostly of aluminum and oxygen atoms in a proportion of two to three (Al203). It is a precious gemstone with trace quantities of iron, titanium, chromium, copper, or magnesium components which give them particular colors. Generally it comes in blue, but some natural fancy variations occur as yellow, purple, orange, and green. In some cases, sapphires can show two or more colors, which are known as “parti sapphires.”
The only color corundum which is not used for sapphire is red, the red stones are known as Rubies. Sapphire is also one of the hardest minerals being a 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale after diamond at 10.
Natural sapphires come in different variations and colors. In below, we are describing them.
Blue Sapphire
Blue sapphire can be found in various mixtures of its primary (blue) and secondary shades, different tonal levels, and different saturation levels. It is assessed based on their inner hue purity. The most prevalent secondary hues found in blue sapphires are purple, violet, and green. Purple and violet can add to the color’s general beauty, whereas green is deemed to be contrary.
Blue sapphires are usually said to be of good quality with up to 15 percent of violet or purple. Gray is the standard modifier or mask of saturation found in blue sapphires. Gray decreases the hue’s saturation or brightness, thus having a distinctly adverse impact.
Sapphires of Other Colors
Sapphires come from blue to black to colorless in all color ranges and all shade. There are no boundaries to a sapphire’s color tone or color saturation. Through the trace mineral content in a sapphire crystal, the sapphire gains a distinct color.
A blue sapphire reflects blue light because there is titanium in the crystal. If a sapphire has other trace minerals like chromium, then the color of the stone will be purple.
If inside the rock there is a combination of elements, you may have lime green or purple. It would be colorless if it was a chemically pure sapphire crystal.
What kind of ingredients nature puts in a sapphire is what distinctive color it shows. Particolored sapphires cannot be synthetically developed and are only naturally occurring.
Pink Sapphire
Pink sapphires occur in colors ranging from light to dark pink, and deepen in color as quantities of chromium increase.
Yellow Sapphire
Yellow sapphires come in a broad spectrum of tones and saturation. Very light canary to a ultra-golden color tone shows the wide variety falling under the Yellow Sapphire classification.
The most demanding color tone is a medium vibrant canary yellow, which in all lighting circumstances will demonstrate excellent color and light reflection.
Green Sapphire
The green hue derives from the presence in the crystal of iron (FE). The green sapphire has a higher density than most other sapphires because of the presence of the metal.
Colorless Sapphire
Colorless sapphires are also known as white sapphires. These are, in fact, the purest type of corundum and contain almost zero impurities.
Padparadscha
Padparadscha is a trading name used with rich saturation of pinkish-orange to orange-pink sapphires. Padparadscha-colored gems are marketed at rates higher than any other fancy sapphire.
Star Sapphire
A star sapphire is a sort of sapphire that displays asterism as a star-like phenomenon. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle. It is like inclusions which viewed with a single overhead light source, causes the appearance of a six-rayed “star” shaped pattern.
Color change sapphire
It is a rare natural sapphire, known as color-change sapphire, displays distinct colors in a different light. Color change sapphires are and pink to reddish-violet in incandescent light, purple under bright indoor light, blue in outdoor light and green to gray-green in daylight.
How to take care of Sapphire?
In general, as sapphires have a nine on Mohs scale, they require very little maintenance. Warm, soapy water is always safe for any sapphire. Steam and Ultrasonic cleaners are generally used professionally for sapphires that are untreated or treated with heat and lattice diffusion. Only a damp cloth should be used to clean fracture-filled, cavity-filled, or colored material. Visit of you like more details about all kinds of jewelry cleaning tips and tricks.
Final Word
Although sapphires are precious stones that can fetch thousands of dollars apiece, for centuries in many cultures, it is believed that sapphires symbolize wisdom, virtue, excellent fortune, and holiness. In a ring of commitment, a sapphire implies loyalty and honesty. To this day, many people tend to bare a particular colored sapphire stone in hopes of gaining their specific desire.